A snuggly lap-time read-aloud that celebrates those who stand out from the herd.
Van Genechten salutes those who refuse to conform.
The sheep in this book all do the same things at the same time: eating, chewing their cuds, and even lifting their tails and depositing droppings. But Scout is different. Scout dreamingly gazes at a butterfly when everyone else munches grass, sleeps upside down with hooves in the air while the others slumber on their bellies, and glances skyward when it’s time to frolic. On each spread, an unseen narrator explains a typical event in the day of the life of this herd while also encouraging young readers to examine the visuals closely to find Scout, who’s physically similar to the others but always doing something a bit different. The tale ends on a humorous note, with Scout deciding to break free of this relatively humdrum existence. First published in Belgium and the Netherlands and translated from Dutch, the simple text weaves in information about the lives of sheep while supporting those that don’t follow the usual path. Sheep lovers will appreciate the illustrations of the animals, with their heavily textured fleeces, but all readers will enjoy the vivid, ever-changing background colors, which make each page turn a treat. With its gentle, low-key text, this one will lull little ones to sleep while reassuring them that being different is more than OK.
A snuggly lap-time read-aloud that celebrates those who stand out from the herd. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 22, 2025
ISBN: 9798890631510
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clavis
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.
The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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